The Dentrix Health History module is your one stop location for important information regarding your patients’ current and historical medical conditions, allergies, and medications.
Of all the information you gather from your patients when they visit your office, making sure you have an up-to-date medical history on each patient is one of the most crucial items. It’s important to have a detailed record of each patient’s medical conditions, any applicable drug allergies, and all medications the patient is taking, whether prescribed by your office or by another doctor.
Now that most offices are paperless or heading in that direction, it’s critical that the information be accurately entered into Dentrix.
Recording Medical Conditions
It’s important to have a detailed medical history recorded for your patients so that you know if there are precautions you should be taking prior to their dental treatment, for example, if they need to premedicate prior to dental appointments or discontinue taking their blood thinner. For additional information, see Adding Medical Conditions to Health History.
Recording Allergies
Having a detailed health history for your patients can also help you know about any applicable drug allergies so that a medication is not prescribed that the patient may have a reaction to. For additional information, see Adding Allergies to Health History.
Recording Current Medications
Recording medications a patient is taking (including those prescribed by other doctors) in the Health History module can help to avoid any contraindications or negative reactions to a medication your doctor may need to prescribe. For additional information, see Adding Patient Reported Medications.
Dentrix has a designated place to enter all this information in the patient’s health history.
Here are some of my other favorite features in the Dentrix Health History, and links where you can find additional information:
- The ability to inactivate a medical condition, allergy or medication without deleting it, allowing you to keep a record of the patient’s past history.
- If you’re using ePrescribe, prescriptions automatically load from pharmacy records.
- The ability to customize your database of medical conditions, allergies, and medications with up to 80 characters in the current version of Dentrix.
- Set the Pop-up and Show As Critical status for each medical condition, allergy, and medication, on an individual patient basis.
- The ability to write notes on each medical condition, allergy, and medication. This allows you to write details about medical conditions and dosage information on medications.
- If you’re using Patient Engage, seamless integration from patient forms into the health history.
- A designated place to enter the patient’s emergency contact, physician information and preferred pharmacy so you don’t have to look elsewhere for that information.
The patient’s health history is a critical part of their record in your office, and since it should be reviewed every time you provide care for the patient, it’s important that it’s easily accessible for everyone in your office.
It’s essential that the information be kept accurate and up to date. I recommend that you have patients fill out a new health history once a year and then use that information to update their Health History in Dentrix. Every time the patient visits your office for an appointment, train your team to open the Dentrix Health History and go over it with the patient. Review their medical conditions, allergies, and medications they’re currently taking. Patients often forget to tell you about medical conditions or new medications until you ask them. Do your part to make sure your records are as accurate and up to date as possible.
Learn More
For additional information, read the following :
- Documenting Health History – My Favorite Feature
- Tips for Using the Dentrix Health History Module More Effectively
- A Better Way to Track Patient Health History in Dentrix
By Charlotte Skaggs
Certified Dentrix Trainer and The Dentrix Office Manager columnist
Charlotte Skaggs is the founder of Vector Dental Consulting LLC, a practice management firm focused on taking offices to the next level. Charlotte co-owned and managed a successful dental practice with her husband for 17 years. She has a unique approach to consulting based on the perspective of a practice owner. Charlotte has been using Dentrix for over 20 years and is a certified Dentrix trainer. Contact Charlotte at vectordentalconsulting@gmail.com.
